Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Trufflepalooza 2012: The menu

A happy Erika in her kitchen during Trufflepalooza 2012 (photo: B&G Photography)

Trufflepalooza 2012 has come and gone. It was glorious, and crowded, and a heck of a lot of work. And one of my favorite days of the year. Don't I look joyful in this picture? I really had a good time pushing out 20 different truffle-laced dishes for 150 people.

(Wondering what that black thing is on my right ear? It's my Bluetooth headset - I was afraid I wouldn't hear the phone if people got lost and called for directions. Practical, not so photogenic.)

I kept the menu under wraps before the party, but I'm glad to share it with you now. I'll be posting some of these recipes in the weeks to come, so stay tuned.

I had a lot of help in the kitchen during the party and in the days before. I wouldn't have been able to feed all those people without my friends and family: Amy, Tony, Andrew, Cathy, Jeff, Jennifer, Kim, Amanda, Patricia, Dorothy, Emery, Weston, my mom Sue, my husband Michael. If you belong on this list and I left you off, let me know and please forgive my early-onset senility.

Some amazing companies donated important ingredients for Trufflepalooza 2012. Thanks to Melissa's Produce (potatoes and shallots), California Avocados Direct (avocados, clearly), Jade Asian Greens (pea sprouts). And a very special thanks to Sabatino Tartufi, which provided the fresh truffles, truffle oil, truffle vinegar, truffle honey, and truffle salt. I've tried a lot of truffle products and I love theirs most of all.

Erika - thanks for letting me cook with you again at Trufflepalooza. I had an amazing time playing with truffles, photographing and tasting along the way. Heaven! My guest from Florida was so pleased she was in LA on that day! Her comments sum it up - Unbelievable food! Great Party House! Really interesting people - not a dull one in the cast of 100! Thank you from both of us.

Erika, it was my pleasure to make the Truffled Rice Krispies Treats. Your whole menu was just stunning. Each year, for me, there is a different highlight. This year I could have eaten a whole big mixing bowl full of that pudding!